A soul shrouded in darkness
by Ajaxthezerg
Summary: Lordran has been taken over by a curse known as the dark sign and I stand to free it from it's curse through any means. (This is based off my first dark souls play through. I hope you like it)
1. Chapter 1

**A soul shrouded in Darkness**

I cursed as I felt a blade pierce through my armor and I knew it had hit my heart, as I looked down and saw the blade that had condemned to death I looked at the face of it's holder. "So much for an old friend" I said with a smile as I tried to push the blade from me chest. "I'll see you in hell" I said with my last breath as I fell to the ground and felt my eyes close for what I hoped would be the last time.

Two weeks earlier.

My name is Masuthus, I was cursed with the dark sign. A horrible thing that allows for rebirth after death, sure I imagine that sounds great, never worrying about death would be a nice thing if it wasn't for the side effects of this accursed mark. You see as I'm reborn more and more times I will slowly lose my mind and form, changing from a normal human being into something much worse, a zombie or a hollow if you will. If you don't know what a hollow is then I presume you've never been in Lordran.

A hollow is a person who's been cursed just let me and faces a horrible fate, they've died so many times that they've given up all hope of ever being able to return to humanity. I've died many a time but I refuse to give up and let this mark take me from this world. I was set here to ring something known as the bell of awakening. A man by the name of Oscar had given me that task with his dying breath and I promised that I would do my best to do as he asked of me.

Now that you're caught up to speed I better get on with my quest. "Are you really writing in that book again?" I looked up and saw an old friend of mine. "Leave me be hunter, I keep this around so that I don't lose my mind. I don't want to hollow. I've still got reason to live and this journal helps to keep me sane" I said as I placed the book back in my bag and stood up. I took the shield off my back and picked up my long sword. "Tell me, what's gone and brought you back to firelink?" I asked considering Hunter had left days before I had arrived. I had only know he was here because one of the locals had seen him and informed me that he had been here. So I had decided to wait and try my luck in the burg, to no avail mind you.

"I came back because I heard you'd made your way to Lordran and I didn't want you to be forced to go through the same things as me. So I'm here to lend you a hand unless you'd rather go on ahead." He told me as I looked up towards the burg once more "I'd be glad to have the help, I heard something rather loud moving around in the burg late last night when I was up there. It looked like a large black knight." I said as I looked over my gear and pulled out a whetstone so that I could sharpen my blade.

"So you've already been up there?" He asked, I replied with a small nod as I looked over the sword and smiled, the edge had returned and I figured I'd be able to pierce most types of armor, but that knight was out of my range by far. "Are you done preparing?" he added quietly as I watched him start towards the path leading up the burg. "Yeah, I'm ready" I said as I jogged over to catch up with him as we started up towards the burg.

A few hollows fell to our blades as we made it up the rather easy climb to the hollow, a few bad stairs and hollows wouldn't stop either of us but a firebomb or being kicked off the cliff side would make our life a bit tough. "Tell me, what have you seen of the world so far?" I asked as we walked into the waterway leading to the center of the burg and a tower with a fog gate on it. "Not much, mind you there is a bonfire that we're going to need to find up ahead." Hunter said as we stepped out into the burg. "It smells of death in here" I said as I looked down at the ground and noticed fresh blood stains. "Those aren't mine" I muttered as I turned to see a few hollows stood in our path.

"You take the left, I'll take the right" I said as I rolled forward and bashed the shield from my target's hand, driving my blade through it's chest before it could react. "Where is this bonfire you were talking about?" I asked as we headed towards the bridge. I took a step forward onto the bridge and hunter grabbed me and threw me back onto the ground as a drake landed on the bridge. "That thing would have crushed me" I said as I noticed a tremble in my voice before I stood back up and looked out onto the courtyard in front of us. "A cross bowmen on the top battlement" I pointed out as I watched hunter unsling his bow and take a shot, right through the hollow's eye as I watched it tumble to the ground.

"Let's clear out the rest and get looking for that bonfire" I said as I walked out into the courtyard and saw a hollow starting to walk towards me. "Easy work" I said with a laugh as I waited for the warrior to strike and I skirted around behind him, my sword going between two of his ribs, killing him in one swift motion. "Only one of them?" I called to hunter before I felt a piece of wood crash into my back and I looked at what had knocked me over, a couple undead had hidden behind a barrier and waited to attack.

I looked to see my sword laying a few feet on the ground in front of me and I cursed as I scrambled for it. I felt a hand grab my leg and I cursed as I was flipped over by an undead, "No, no, no" I muttered as I quickly said a pyromancy spell and tossed the small but deadly flame into the hollow's face, forcing it back and killing it as I looked to see the other one fall to Hunter's sword. "Thanks for that" I said as I stood up and picked up my old blade.

"Now where is that bonfire" I said as I walked up to where the cross bowmen had been and saw a small fog gate off to the side is that the gate we're looking for?" I asked before I walked over to it and pushed my way through hoping I was right. I passed through without anything attacking me and I smiled as I saw the bonfire in front of me. "Thank god" I muttered as I sat down and pulled out my small journal and looked over it. "No worse for wear" I said as I started to write and I watched as hunter disappeared "I'll see you soon brother" I heard him say before he faded fully from sight.

(This story is going to be based on Dark souls and my character's first play through of the game, a long and rather aggravating one at that. I hope you enjoy it.)


	2. A stranger in a strange land

**A soul shrouded in darkness Pt.2**

** I **looked up from my book and closed it with a loud sigh, I had spent the night in the tower and I wasn't sure if I would have made it through the night. I looked towards the bonfire in front of me and I tossed a bit of dust off the ground into the flames and watched as it was quickly burned, "Fire, something of creation and destruction" I heard a voice behind me so I stood up slowly and looked over to see somebody else. I knew for certain it wasn't hunter because he wore what looked like rags yet I knew it was the leather that the pyromancers of the swamp wore to protect themselves from their magics.

"It's rather rare to see another pyromancer out here" I said with a smile as I walked towards the man in front of me before I realized that he bore the look of a hollow. "You're still sane right?" I asked as I took a step back and reached for my blade. "Yes, I have yet to loss my mind to this infernal land" he said as he took a step closer to me. "What's your name stranger?" I said as I took a step around the fire and sat down, making room for the person to sit.

"The name is Zodiarne" He said quietly as he looked at the fire in front of us. "Do you have no humanities?" I asked softly as I looked into my bag and realized that I had a few extra. "Here" I said as I pulled out a small black spirit that danced in my hand, almost like a pure black flame as I handed it to my new friend. "Turn yourself back to human if you wish, or hold onto it for a better time" I said before he crushed up the humanity and I watched as he turned back to what I presumed was his normal self.

"Glad to be back to normal" I heard him say with a smile as I stood up and walked over to him. "And I'm glad to have a person to talk with so I don't lose my mind" I said with a sad laugh as I helped him to his feet. "What brings you here?" I asked as I looked out the doorway and noticed the path was clear up to the bridge. "Seems like the undead are constantly firebombing it. You'd probably have to sprint through there" I said as I turned back.

"I'm sorry, I cut you off" I said as I leaned against the wall and waited for Zodiarne to speak. "I'm here for the bell" was all he said as he walked out of the room and dashed for the bridge, rolling across it quickly to avoid a firebomb landing mere inches from his face. "You should have said something" I said as I rushed over to him, rolling at the last second to avoid a rather painful blast of flame. "Watch yourself out here, death isn't the worse thing but I think you already know about that" I said quietly as I picked myself up and dusted myself off before I heard the sound of metal dragging on the ground.

I rolled just soon enough that as an axe crashed into the wall where I had once stood. "So close" I said with a laugh as I kicked the hollow wielding the axe to the ground and pushed my sword through it's chest. "Behind you" I called to Zod as I watched him turn and set one of the hollow's on fire. "Damn, I wish I had that type of power" I muttered as I looked to see the last hollow. This one was wearing armor and it looked rather angry at us killing it's friends. He looked to be a former captain of some type of guard and I guess we'd just killed his men again.

I pulled my sword from the hollow and looked it over, the black blood seemed to be eating away at it and I sighed "Just die you pain" I said to the captain as I watched it slowly make it's way towards us before it gave a small burst of speed and pushed off it's back foot. Using it's blade almost like a spear I managed to dodge at the last second and reduce the damage he'd done to me. A large gash was open near my ribs but I can't stop to heal just yet. I drove the blade through his chest and smiled as I watched the hollow fall to the ground.

"Thanks for the help" I said to my new ally as I walked out of the room and headed towards the stairs on the far side of the small balcony. "Such a beautiful land... It pains me to see it like this" I muttered as I turned and ran up the stairs, ducking under a firebomb as I pushed one of the hollow's into the other one with a smirk and drove my sword through both of them before I stepped back and paused. I watched this hollow more carefully, I'd have to learn how they faught sometime so I figured I would do it now.

I saw it raise it's blade and suddenly it stood there engulfed in flames before it collapsed in a smouldering heap "Sorry, I thought you were in trouble" Zodiarne said as he walked up the steps and sat down beside the wall. "I was fine, but thank you" I said with a smile as I looked over the door in front of me and kicked as hard as I could, breaking the latch on it and forcing it open. "I think I can stay here for now." I said as I watched Zodiarne disappear. "So many people here... I wonder what's happening with these bells" I muttered as I sat down and opened my journal and started to write.


End file.
